Last.



GEORGE G. PERKINS, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 19,. 1916.

Application filed Ilune 15, 1914. Serial No. 845,098.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lastsof which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to hinged lasts for shoes and its object is to provide a simple device of this character that may be shortened for the purpose of ready removal from a shoe and firmly locked in lengthened position when in use;

An illustrative embodiment of my inven tion is shown in the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification,l

the figure being a ,central longitudinal se'ction of my improved last.

In the particular drawing selected for more fully disclosing the principle of my invention,1 represents the toe portion and 2 the heel portion of the last, these two portions being provided with longitudinallyextending slots or recesses 3 3', respectively, said krecesses being in alinement the one with theother. A 4link 4 disposed in the alined recesses and pivoted to the toe portion by the pin 5 and also, in the present instance, to the heel portion bythe pin 5', serves ras a hingeL portion whereby the toe member mayy be rotated to the position shown in dotted lines about the pin `5 as a center and also, in the example shown in the drawing, to a limited extent about the pin 5 for the purpose of shortening the length of the last to permit its ready `removal from the shoe. The abutting faces of the heel and toe portions preferably are arcshaped as shown at 6' 6', said arcs being struck from the center of the pin 5. A straight portion 6 connects the two arcshaped portions above referred to and limits the movement of the heel portion with respect to the toe portion when the last is in operative or lengthened position.

For locking the two portions in operative position, I- employ the detent or locking piece 7 located in the -recess 3 of the toe portion and pivoted to said portion by the pin 8. The lower end of said detent is forced into contact with the upper edge of the link 4 by the resilient4 member 9 herein shown as a spiral spring disposed in the bore 10y and having its upper end in contact with and partially surrounding the rounded upper projection 11 of the detent 7. Opposite said lying below the arc a,tl1e center of which is the center of the pin 8 and which has a,

radius b, and the curvedportion 13', which f is forward of the normal point of contact between the detent and link, lying above the arc a. The object of so shaping the surfaces l13, 13 is'to permit of a certain amount of wear of the contact surfaces without impairing the effectiveness of the lock.

It will be readily apparent that the locking device above described will maintain the last in its lengthenedposition during the process of lasting, and that by rotating the finger-piece 12 about its center, the heelpiece may be unlocked and the last shortened as shown in dotted lines thereby materially decreasing the length of the same and permitting its ready removal vfrom the shoe. The point of pivotal connection of the link 4 with the toe-piece is approximately midway between the ends of said piece, so that the arc throughlwhich any point on the rear i of the heel-piece will swing has a radius equal approximately to one-half the total length of the last when in operative position. It will be noted that the pivot 5 connecting the link with the toe-portion is below the base line or the heel-line of the last, z'. '6., a line passing along the bottom ofthe heel and extended forwardly. This permits the last to be progressively or continuously shortened from the very beginning of the pivotal movement -of the heelpiece without the slightest tendency to lengthen during the first part of the movement and afterward shorten, and thereby the heel-lining of the shoe from which the last is being withdrawn, is protected from injury which otherwise would result from such withdrawal. It will be further noted that the ytoe-piece and heel-piece each has a solid bottom, the kerfs or recesses not eX- tending therethrough, and this is of yadvantage in that the last is rthereby materially strengthened, and openings in which nails, &c., are liable to be caught, are eliminated.

Having thus described an illustrative embodiment of my invention, what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a last, the combination with a toe-y edge at the point where the lower end ofV said detent makes contact therewith, said upper edge having a curved portion immediately forward of the normal point of contact between said detent and link.

2. In a last, the combination with a toepiece, a heel-piece and a link connecting said pieces, of a detent pivoted to one of said pieces and arranged to coperate with said link, the upper edge of said link having a straight portion and a forwardly-extending curved portion, said straight portion at the point of contact of said detent therewith being tangential to said forwardly-extending eurved portion, said curved portion lying above the are whose radius is equal to the distance between the center of the ivot of said detent and the lower end thereof 3. 'In a last, the combination with a toepiecef -aheel-piece and a link connecting said pieces, of a detent pivoted to one of said pieces and arranged to ooperate with said link, said link having a straight upper edge at the point where the lower end of said detent makes contact therewith, said upper edge having a curved portion imme-v diately forward of the normal point of contact between said detent and link, and resilient means engaging said detent to normally maintain the same in engagement with said link to lock the last in lengthened position.

4:. In a last, the combination with a toepiece, a heel-piece and a ylink connecting said pieces, of a detent pivoted to one of said pieces and arranged to cooperate with said link, the upper edge ofsaid link having a straight portion and a forwardly-extending curved portion, said straight portion at the point of contact of said detent therewith being tangential lto said forwardly-extending curved portion, said curved portion lying above the arc whose radius is equal to the distance between the center of the pivot of said detent and the lower end thereof, and resilient means engaging said detent to normally maintain the same in engagement with said link to lock the last in lengthened position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12 day of June,

` GEORGE GPERKINS. Witnesses:

ERNEST A. HoDGDoN, WILLARD D. MARTIN. 

